Manorama News-VMR Kerala Exit Poll: K T Jaleel, who resigned from cabinet recently, set to lose Thavanur

Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate and former Higher Education and Minority Welfare Minister K T Jaleel will lose Thavanur assembly constituency in Malappuram district, according to the Manorama News-VMR exit poll result released on Thursday. Jaleel will get 42.5% per cent votes to finish second behind.

United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate and charity worker Firoz Kunnumprambil will win the constituency with 42.9% votes, according to the exit poll.

Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Ramesh Kottayipuram will finish third with 10.9% percent votes.

Jaleel had won Thavanur in 2011 and 2016.

He defeated Congress leader V V Prakash (who passed away on Thursday) by 6,854 votes in 2011 and Iftiqaruddheen by 17,064 votes in 2016.

Jaleel resigned from the Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet on April 12 after the Lok Ayukta found him guilty of nepotism in a government appointment.

Lok Ayukta found that Jaleel had lobbied the Kerala State Minority Welfare Corporation (KSMWC) to appoint his relative as a general manager and decreed that he should not continue in the cabinet as his action amounted to abuse of power, favouritism, nepotism and violation of oath of office.

In September 2020, Jaleel was quizzed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the sensational gold smuggling case.